Warriors-Thunder cheatsheet: Here comes a red-hot OKC team

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Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook (0) and Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant (35) talk each other briefly in the second half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

How the Thunder are doing:After losing their first four games of the season, the Thunder come into Wednesday’s game one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, having won nine of their last 11 games.

Oklahoma City’s run came as their star guard Russell Westbrook was on the bench with an injured ankle. While Westbrook was out, Thunder forward Paul George upped his game, averaging 26.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists over the six-game stretch.

With Westbrook back in the lineup, the Thunder hope to continue their run.

During Curry’s absence, the Warriors have only shot better than 50 percent in a game once (11/10 vs Nets).

Curry’s absence has had a negative effect on the team’s other all-stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Durant shot 39 percent during the team’s last road trip. Thompson was worse – shooting 37 percent for the trip, while the team made just 18-of-77 3-pointers.

If the Warriors want to get back to their championship ways, they’ll need more from their stars.

Russell Westbrook is lurking.

Since Durant joined the Warriors in 2016, Westbrook has made it his personal mission to destroy his former teammate’s new team. While he hasn’t quite accomplished that goal – going 2-6 against the Warriors over the span – Westbrook has put up quite a fight. Last season, he averaged 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven rebounds in four games against the Warriors.

Logan Murdock covers the Warriors for the Bay Area News Group. The Oakland native interned at Turner Sports and the Memphis Commercial Appeal and was a member of the Sports Journalism Institute's 2017 class.